Daily feedback and matched tips may help students put off deadline work less

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   89 students at a German university, mostly men, about 22 to 24 years old on average. Each was getting ready for an exam, paper or talk.

2. 02

   What they did

   Both groups answered short phone questions each morning and evening until the deadline. They said how long they planned to study and how long they did. One group also got daily feedback on their own answers. They were also pointed to short video lessons, such as on time planning or goal setting. The lessons were picked to fit their reasons for putting things off.

3. 03

   What happened

   The feedback group rated themselves as putting things off less and finished more of what they had planned each day. They didn't study longer or with more focus. At a second deadline the feedback group kept up these gains, but there was no other group to compare with then.

What the study found

1. HelpedProcrastination

   Students who got daily feedback and matched tips put off deadline work less than students who only kept the diary.

   • Action: Plan your weektested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: Use the method that fits youtested
   • Action: Track your progressused

   Small randomised trial of 89 German university students before a deadline · vs students who only kept the same daily diary · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

2. HelpedGoals

   Students who got daily feedback and matched tips finished more of their planned daily work, but didn't study longer.

   • Action: Plan your weektested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: Use the method that fits youtested
   • Action: Track your progressused

   Small randomised trial of 89 German university students before a deadline · vs students who only kept the same daily diary · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

3. No differenceFocus

   Daily feedback and matched tips didn't help students study with more focus than the diary alone.

   • Action: Plan your weektested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: Use the method that fits youtested
   • Action: Track your progressused

   Small randomised trial of 89 German university students before a deadline · vs students who only kept the same daily diary · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

Source